Synopsis
The story of a Summer shared by six young people. It all begins with their escapes from the bleak and dreary City.
Blackbird and Tiny are in their car. Blackbird’s father has died and they are on their way to attend the funeral. That evening the two of them, again, are in the big city, and in the bar where Blackbird sometimes plays his guitar. They are drunk and surrounded by Blackbird’s girl-fans. A “Hairless” man and his “Driver” attack Blackbird. Tiny gives them a fierce beating to protect his friend. He takes the gun of the Driver. The two young men have to flee the city.
Ivo and Ran are actors, but Ran has decided to become a writer. They are popular, although they do not look it. They have money problems, work problems, even police problems. Ran has to leave his flat, because he is broke and finds out that his girl friend has left him for another man. Ivo quits his work and joins his friend. The two of them have nothing but personal effects between themselves. And a video camera.
Emily has problems with her family and her own temper. She is a tomboy, and Grey is her only friend. Emily beats up a bully, to save the her drunken mom’s honor. Then confronts her and leaves home. Grey joins her.
The six of them flee the oppressive City and take to the Еast -- the seaside. They meet and settle on one of the few remaining truly empty and wild beaches on Bulgarian Black Sea coast. There they will find a place to live, a Paradise of their own, friendship.
Ivo keeps shooting his documentary. He intends to send it to the woman he seems unable to leave behind. He shoots our characters’ games with other young people, their falling in love, their jokes, arguing about the “meaning”, religion, afterlife. He also shoots the African, who can play the bagpipe and knows “why it is good to be a Bulgarian”.
The questions Ivo asks everybody are: “Who are you?”, “What do you do?”, “What do you like?”, “What do you hate?” and “What are your dreams?... “What is your Idea?”
Sometimes serious, sometimes jokingly, all answer the six questions. In parallel with Ivo’s film we see their “Paradise summer” in the East. Before they realize it, the new friends grow frank and share their dreams. And one of these is shared by all – they crave for a Chance to stay where they are, and be themselves - with their talents, upbringing, mentality.
Besides the events that take place -- falling in love and compromises, their life in the open air, midnight drowning, freedom from the trivialities of everyday life -- Ivo’s film also shows the growing up of the young people …
Emily likes Blackbird. Blackbird has realized and accepted his father’s death. Ivo has an adorer and Ran puts an end to the drama with his girlfriend. Emily receives a present and can continue with her hobby – photography. In her interview she states that she’d rather be a man. Gray is in love with Emily, but never intrudes on her.
He is the only one who wouldn’t answer the six questions, but tells them the legend of the ancient Warrior and his patience. And also, that “...whenever a Warrior dies in the East, people would say that he has gone West.”
However, Gray has no time to finish his story -- a jeep roars onto the beach. This belongs to some local hoodlums who illegally claim position on the beach. The goons want the place to themselves and crash the tents. The six young people are different though… and meet the aggression with smiles. Tiny takes the unloaded gun of the Driver from the bar and drives the hoodlums away, with poise and wit.
In the morning, when the six have packed and are ready to leave their Paradise, police arrives and puts Tiny and Blackbird under arrest. As it is, the Hairless man has died as a result of the fight and now Tiny will have to meet the consequences. The police car with Tiny and Blackbird drives off, when their friends smash their own car into it. They free the two guys and run away.
The Crowd sits into the smashed car and listens to the police sirens. Ivo switches the camera on and leaves it outside. Through the camera we see the car speeding towards the cliffs. A “Low battery” sign begins blinking and in a moment there is only blackness...
We still don’t know whether these friends have gone West.
We can only hope to found out…